Wube Akale 1919-2001

In the beginning of the 20th. Century, Abba Akale decided to move with his family to a place called "Woingie", which is a very fertile and strategic place both for farming and living with two rivers. Woingie was not far from the ancient city Gondar. Abba Akale always thought that it was important that Jewish people have to have their own land and have to be free from the feudal lords. His ability to communicate with people and his good diplomacy led him to succeed his plan. He was respected by Christian lords and even by the robbers that they never hurt his people.

Mr. Wube's mother Emma Mentiwab Elias was the descendant of a very known Jewish family where some miracles happened. Her grand mother Emma Leshit was a very religious woman that when she died a special light from the sky appeared the whole night on her dead body.

Abba Akale and Emma Mentiwab spoke the unique language of Ethiopian Jewish "Quaregna". Abba Akale taught Prof. Yosef Tubiana this language in 1949, since then Tubiana and Wube remained best friends.

Since I knew myself until his death in January 2001, I enjoyed hearing from my father Mr. Wube Akale the fruitful words, philosophical, educational and the social messages every day anew.

His personality is expressed mainly by his wish to help his community, he always preferred what is good for the others, he had never thought to gain something only for his own benefit. His ability of communicating with religious leaders both Jewish and Christians and his wide knowledge in the Torah caused him to be more respected among the surrounding society though he was belonged to the rejected ethnic group.

Mr. Wube Akale fulfilled different tasks concerning Ethiopian Jewish community, he used to be as an advocate, advisor, representative, educator etc. in different occasions. He was the first person who established a Jewish private school in Woingie and taught children without any salary, he participated twice to the Semien campain as a civil soldier and as a chief secretary of the campain leader Kegnazmach Tashu Engeda (a regional governor of Begemder) in 1948.

In 1950 he was one of the delegation in the dispute group that stood against the missionaries at Gedebgie, Wogera region where the Beta- Israel won. He fought against the Italian soldiers. He taught in different Jewish schools. In 1953 when Leul Asrate Kassa was the governor of Gondar, he worked with Mr. Melesse Teklie as an advocate to help the Beta- Israel in their problems especially problems concerning farmland.

In 1968 he ran for the Ethiopian parliament election taking the plowshare as his sign symbolizing Beta -Israel handcrafts. He was not elected, but he brought the Beta- Israel case to public attention.

From 1974 to 1978, he was elected as a member of a committee the urban dwellers' association of Kebele (region) 7, taking part in the judiciary unit.

In 1978 he arrived Israel and protested against Beta -Israel conversion, refused to go to the ritual immersion (Mikvie), wrote an appeal to the chief Rabbinate and to the community.

Mr., Wube wrote two books in Amharic about the Ethiopian Jewish story, social and religious life, important events for Beta- Israel, Jewish holidays etc.

The continuing relation with Professor Yosef Tubiana and their meeting after 51 years and their being together for three weeks, was one of the most present he got before he died.

Mr. Wube Akale died on Thursday 11 January 2001.

Solomon Akale